The Graphic Novel

WHAT IS A GRAPHIC NOVEL?

“A graphic novel is simply a description of the format in which comics material is presented.  Which is to say – it’s a book available in a paperback (softcover) or hardcover binding.In other words, a graphic novel is a comic book that looks like, feels like, tastes like, a book.”

~ Jeff Bogumil graphicnovelarchive.com

How do I read this thing?!

Begin Here!

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVELS?

Current trends Manga – Japanese comics

Staple comic book heroes

Naruto

Bleach

BatmanX-Men

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVELS?

Boys LOVE them Fast-paced Action packed Graphics Relatable

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVELS?

Movies adapted from graphic novels: The Watchmen, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Persepolis and so on.

Integrates visuals and literacy

HOW CAN WE USE GRAPHIC NOVELS?

Spruce up your lessons! Incorporate graphic novels with textbooks. Examples:

Doing a lesson on the Montgomery Bus Boycott? Try this:

O’Hern, Kerri. The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Milwaukee:

World Almanac Library, 2006.

What about the Holocaust? Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survior’s Tale. New

York: Patheon Books, 1986-1991.

HOW CAN WE USE GRAPHIC NOVELS?

Reluctant readers Graphic novel versions of classic literature are

becoming more available. Why not use it in conjunction with reading the actual text?

Teach students how to tell a story

HOW TO TELL A STORY FRAME BY FRAME

Comic Life: an introduction

How can this help my students?

RESOURCES

About Graphic novels: McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. New

York: Paradox Press, 1999. McCloud, Scott. Reinventing Comics: how

imagination and technology are revolutionizing an art form. New York: Perennial, 2000.

Comic Life http://plasq.com/comiclife-win this is where you

can buy or download the trial. http://guest.portaportal.com/comiclife this has

LOTS of information about Comics, Comic Life, and including them in the classroom.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Royalty Free Images http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ http://www.stockvault.net/ http://www.sxc.hu/

Most of these websites require you to create an account, but they are free and have lots of stock images you could use.

QUESTIONS?

WORKS CITED

Bogumil, Jeff. The Graphic Novel Archive: trade paperbacks, manga, comic strip collections, original graphic novels. 2009. 05 Feb. 2009 <http://www.graphicnovelarchive.com/>.

Comic Life Introduction. Dir. Dianne Krausse. Youtube. 3 Mar. 2008. 10 Feb. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_83FgdOlM0>.

Pearson, Cris. "Comic Life." Plasq. 20 Feb. 2009 <http://plasq.com/comiclife-win>.